Heat insulation



March 24, 1931. c. F. FlTTl-:R 1,797,228

HEAT INSULATION Filed Nov. 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l wuewcoz Cima .y xm

@MMM v March 24, 1931. c. F. FITTER HEAT INSULATION Filed Nov. 20, 19282 Sheets-Sheet 2 will' vll Patented Mar. v24,1931

-r UNITED STATES CHARLES r. nrrfrnn, or cnairsivwrCH,iGONNEc'i'rcn'rl.Application led November 20, 1928. Serial No. 320,668.

This invention relates to the art of heat insulation and to a novelconstruction of heatinsulating walls particularly -adapted for` use inrefrigeration, and, especially, in refrigeraj tor cars andthe like. Y Ageneral object ofthe present invention is toprovide a novel andeconomical wall construction having high heat-insulating efiiciency andadapted to withstand the wear and tear incident to use in refrigeratorcars.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a wallconstruction for'refrigerator cars which adapts itself to the ilexing ofthe car structure during use and under. varying conditions of loadwhereby the heat-insulating efficiency ofthe. wall is at all timesmaintained at a high level.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a novel and simpleconstruction of heatlinsulating cell unit of high efficiency for useinthe construction of the walls aforesaid.

Other objects of the invention will in part be Aobviousfand will in partappear hereinafter.

I The invention accordingly comprisesl the features of construction,Vcombination of ele- Y ,A tially filled with heat-insulating.material24,

ments and arrangement of parts which will l be exemplified in theconstruction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application ofAwhich will be indicated in the claims.

vFor a fuller understanding of the nature and objectsof the inventionreference should be .had to the following detaileddescription taken invconnection with the accompanying 5'cdr'a'wings, in which: y l', A

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional proved form of wallstructure and body 4therein ;l f

Fig. 2 is a partial, transverse-vertical sectional view of F ig. 1; Fig.3 is a slightly enlarged the structure shown in Fig. 1 at the lowerleft# A'handcorner of the car body;

. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of the manner in which thenovel heat-insuy latingwallconstruction adapts itself to the flexingvariations in the car structure; `A vFig.'5 is aside elevational view ofone in Fig. 7; and

of thecar with respect to each other, and, L

demn'vew of.

exemplification of the heat-insulating cell mut;

Fig. 6 is a similar view, partly broken away;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View thereof; Fig. Sis a verticalsectionalview kof another construction of heat-insulating cell; f

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view, slightly in 1 perspective, of oneportion .of the cell shown Fig. 10 is a similar view, showinga kcell ina further stage of assembly. Referring more particularlyto the drawings,in the exemplification comprising Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, there is showna refrigerator car 15 mounted vonv trucks 16 and having outer, side,end, top and bottom walls 17.l

v Interior-ly the car is also shown provided with ice compartments 18and inner side and end walls 19, top wall 20 and ak bottom wall 21. 70The innerV walls aforesaid are spaced from the outer walls and aresubstantially parallel thereto', and disposed therebetween are kone ormore layersof cellular heatinsulating cellsl 22 in the form -ofsubstantially `cylindrical' tubes 23, which are preferably at leastparsuchas dry sawdust, powdered corlr,Spa.nishl moss or the like. Theheat-insulating cell units 22 are stacked laterally upon each other, asis shown in Figs. 1 to' 4 inclusive, and substantially fill the spacebetweenthe inner and outer walls'of the car, thereby providing anefficient heat insulation of the interior of the car.V Also, as will -beseen by particular reference to Fig. 4, the stacking ofthe cell unitsView .of ,L l1.ei.jl.g.m.m(,r Car having ,m m j 22 in this mannerpermits the individual cell units and the heat-,insulating wall as awhole readilyjto conform to thefiiexing of the walls particularly,thebottom wall 21 with respect to the side walls 19', during use withoutimpairment of the insulating effect.l p

The tubular walls 23 of the heat-insulating units 22y may be formedfromany convenient J5 non-frangible material and need be only generally'cylindrical in form. As is shown'particularlyfon Figs. 5 to 10 of thedrawings, they may be conveniently made of the usual type ofspirally-wound pasteboard carton, m0

in Figs. 5 and 6, the ends of the cell are closed A by a cap 25, Whereasin the form of cells shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10, the heat-insulatingmaterial is confined by a pair of plugs 26, which are held in place by:t'iictionalV Acentact with the inner side of the Walls 23. In order toinsure proper seating of these plugs, it is preferable to provide thecell unit With an interiorly-disposed sleeve 27 formi-ng the seats 28,as is shown in Fig. 7 or to crease the Walls 23 to form beads 29, as isshown in Fig. l0.

Furthermore, in the form of heat-insulating unit shown in Figs. 7, 9 andl0, the utilization of both the plug 26 and the cap25 provides adead-air space at each end ofthe cell, Which adds to the insulatingeffect of the confined heat-insulating material. It will be readilyunderstood, of course, that, if desired, the cap 25. may be omitted, inwhich case, by'proper positioning vof the external and internal Wallsofthe unit to be refrigerated, said Walls Will act as a cap and form,Witi the plugs 26,v the dead-air spaces aforesai In practice, it hasalso been found to be desirable to Water-proof the units, as,-forexample, by coating and sealing them With Wax or bituminous material inorder that the heatinsulating material may be kept dry and itsinsulating etiiciency maintained. Also, ifv 4desired, theheat-insulating material may be preformed as a pressed block and held inplace by any suitable means, such as friction, or Vby the sealingmaterial aforesaid.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction, anddifferent embodiments of the invention could be made, Without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying l drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. f

It is also to be understood that the follow-1 ing claims are intended tocoverfall of thel generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed and all statements of the scope of the invention Which-as a.matter of languagemiglit be said to fall therebetween.

member of non-frangible material, heat-insulatin'g material iilling saidtubular member in a transverse plane, and Vmeans for retaining saidheat-insulating material Within said member; said retaining vmeans.comprising va plug inserted Within said tubular member at each endadjacent the insulating material; said unit being treated in a manneradapted to preserve the insulating material in a dry state; said plugscontacting frictionally with the inside of said tubular member, and saidtubular member being provided With mea-ns cooperating With the edges ofsaid plugs for insuring even seating of the plugs.

2. A heat-insulating unit of the type described,comprising, incombination,a tubular member, of non-frangible material, heatinsulatingmaterial filling said tubular member in atransverse plane, and means forretaining said heat-insulating material Within said member; saidretaining means comprising a plug inserted Within said tubular mem-.

ber at each end adjacent the insulating material, and said units beingtreated in a man..

taining said heat-insulating material Within. said member; saidretaining means compris- `ing a plug inserted Within said tubularmemberat each end adjacent the insulating material; said units beingtreated in a manner adapted to preserve the V.insulating material in adry state.; said tubular member being provided with meanscooperatingwith the Y edges ofsaid plug for insuring even seating of theplugs, said last-mentioned means comprising an internally-disposedcircumferential shoulder Within the. tubular member, and said shoulderbeing formed by inwardly beading the Wall of the tubular member.

4. A heat-insulating uniti of the type described, comprising, incombination, a tubular member of non-frangible `material and beingsubstantially filled in a transverse yplane With heat-insulatingmaterial, a plug inserted Withiny said tubular member at each endadjacent the insulating lmaterial and friction-V ally engaging saidtubular member, means comprising an internally-disposed circumferentialshoulder Within the tubular member adapted to insure proper seating ofthe plugs and a cap on each end of saidtubular member; each of saidplugs and said caps being spaced to providek a dead-air space at theends of the unit.

5. A refrigerator car, or the like, including, in combination,,verticall Walls, each comprising spaced parallel Wallmembers, aplurality of relatively movable laterally-stacked loosely-contacting.tubular members disposed betWeen each pairl of said parallel Wallmembers,

each of said tubular members being formed of non-frangible material andbeing substantially filled in a transverse plane With heatinsulatingmaterial; said stacked members being disposed to alloWthe insulatingunits lto conform to the flexing of the Walls during use of the car.

6. A heat-insulating Wall, comprising, in combination, spaced slideportions and a bottom portion arranged to permit flexing, and

' a plurality of individually movable laterallya plurality ofindividually movable laterally-v stacked tubular members ofnon-frangible material and adapted for adjustment'of their relativepositions during the flexing of said Wall, each of said tubular membersbeing substantially filled in a transverse plane With heat-insulatingmaterial and having an air space on at least one side of saidheat-insulating material.

' 8. A heat-insulating Wall, comprising, in combination7 spaced sideportions and a bottom portion arranged to permit flexing, and aplurality of' individually movable laterallystacked tubular members ofnone-frangible material and adapted for adjustment of their relativepositions during the flexing of said Wall, each of said tubular membersbeing substantially filled in a transvers plane With heat-insulatingmaterial, and having a deadair space on both sides of saidheat-insulating material. Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES F. FITTER.

